I looked at my 2008 first winter sowing packet and I found a hyacinth seeds. It says Hyacinth Bean Vine - Annual. "Moonshadow". Looks like this was given by Moonshadow. :)

I'm not sure if the seeds are still fine. I'm seeing some powdery stuff on the outer brown layer.

I have winter-sown several perennial vines - including Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans). I gave a couple away but am embarassed to admit that there are still 2 sitting in pots. They are even sending roots out into the ground under the pots! This is because I can't decide where to put them, being aware of their aggressive nature and not being sure where to put them. Although, the fact we live in zone 5 probably curbs their growth somewhat.

Keep in mind that perennial vines grow much more slowly from seed than annual vines. It can take 5 or more years for a Trumpet vine to start blooming. A combo sounds like a good idea. While your perennial vine is putting on size, you can fill in with the annuals.

I grow Cardinal climber every year on a teepee trellis, and it grows fast and fills the whole trellis and starts blooming by about mid-August. Has pretty ferny foliage and red tubular flowers that the hummers love too! However, your 4 corner posts in the pergola wouldn't be enough for them to climb up. They love to spread out all over and would need more posts or something.

Have you considered growing some grapes on the pergola or something edible?

(Hehe can see we're both up late tonight thinking about vines. :)

Grapes? I grew one when I was in high school, 1986 :), in front of our house in the Philippines. It filled the whole front beautiful but it didn't produce any fruits. I know nothing about plants that time but I just grew it. It took like more than 5 years to fill the whole front. So am not sure why it didn't produce any fruit. The only thing the old people were telling me always is that "it won't produce fruit because it's too hot here". However, I didn't believe because another neighbor also had grape vine and it was producing fruits but too bitter though. :)

Anyways, I'm still thinking about Trumpet vine since I don't want to ruin the patio. I was thinking that the runners will show up in the middle of it.

I will look at Cardinal climber. I haven't checked it out yet.

Thanks!

I've started building the pergola today! I was quite exhausted since I'm the only one who's building it. I'm thinking of planting a combo perennial/annual vine. :) I'm so excited!

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Niel, have you thoguht about a Porcelain Vine, the leaf is very pretty,and varigated to boot.Not a big flower however.Mine is still very pretty at this time of the year.
cAROL

Looking ... :)

Btw, just got in. I finished the other 3 remaining posts. :)

Well,I just saw the scarlet runner bean vine,and the hyacinth bean vine, and I am SOLD on them both, my neighbor has them growing together,evan has a few morning glories mixed in,BEAUTIFUL,STUNNING,I will be removing my wisteria come spring,and planting these 3.
cAROL

Why are you removing the Wisteria? Don't you love the flowers?

I have had it two years now, and it has never bloomed, my neighbor had hers, about 8 years,and hers never did bloom, someone told me it is because it isto cold here?I do love the flower, that is why I planted it,but so far, just foliage.
I have a small porcelian vine, would you like to have it?
What do you think you will go with?
I love your pergola,Wayne built me one a few years ago,you always do such a nice job.
cAROL

Sure, I'm interested in the Wisteria. I'll email you. :)

The one guaranteed to bloom here in our zone is Blue Moon. Arctictropical is growing it for more than 4 years now. It bloomed the second year if I remember correclty.

I'm currently building a pergola too. Here are the latest shots(different angles). This is what I completed yesterday.

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I sent you an email Carol. Thanks! :)

Got it Neil,mailed you back. wow, you have really moved with this one, is any one helping you?
I remember your pictures from a couple of years ago, you were just getting into gardening, seems like the bug bit hard,ha ha
Nice job.Can't wait to see it finished,coming right out your door, that is Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice,
cAROL

Thanks Carol! :)

My friends helped me with the digging of the six 4ft holes 2 weeks ago. It was very though even with the 2-man auger! The clay was so hard. We encountered rocks which would stop the auger from drilling. However with the pergola build, I'm the only one doing it.

Here is a shot taken by my 10 yr old boy, Sept 26. :)

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Here is another shot of me when I was just starting with the build. :) hehehe!

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There you are,how nice to have a face with the name now.
Notice your neighbor,to bad he don't offer to help you out a little eh?
I sent you some pictures,let me know if you got them
cAROL

Hi Carol,

I saw the pics. They are beautiful!!! :) So those morning glories bloom during the day? I have a moonflower but only blooms in the evening. :(

Thank you so much for taking those shots! I'm going to take a look again at the pictures! :D

About my neighbor, he just always ask what I'm doing. LOL. :)

I took thoses pictures around 3 pm, the S.runner bean was all done blooming, I guess when I saw it, I saw the last hurra,but it is nice to see a mix of blooms.Really pretty together I thought.
cAROL

That's what I am going to do. Do you think 3 seeds per pergola posts is enough?

I'm not sure Neil, I got a few seeds from her,I will call her and ask her,be right back!((( being put on hold )))
Good she was home.She thinks 3 seeds of each would be plenty, on each poll.If you plant to many, they vine around each other, and you do not get as many blooms,( info from her )She ordered her seeds for Dianes Seed.com
or, she said, if you wanna wait , she will see how many she can harvest, and you can have some of hers,( she is a kind person,very giving)I am planting mine like hers next year.
cAROL

Awesome! I'll wait then :D

By the way, quick question about hostas. :D I saw few seed pods the other day and they're color green. When can I harvest it?

It is uaually about 7 weeks from when they flower,the pod will be green, the seed should be black,if white, it is no good.
Did the ones I sent you a few years ago do any thing?Mine did not,:0(
I have a lot of seedlings that come up on their own, and they do great, when I tryed to plant them from sed, nothing.nota.

This spring, I will have A TON, of seedlings, pretty good size, all green of course, if you want any, I can send them to you for postage,I just hate to throw away a plant.

Right now, I have some Ostrich Ferns,I am digging, you can have some of them for postage if you are interested.They do spread, so, be forwarned,ha ha

Any one else want any, they need to be sent right away,and planted ASAP.Free, execpt for postage
Do you think you could remind me Neil, about the seeds in a few weeks, I try not to forget, but age has gifted me with a short term memory.:0)
cAROL

I will remind you about the vine seeds by email. :)

So for hostas, I should wait until the pods become black.

Awesome! :)

Neil - the seedpods on hosta turn a papery tan color and start to split open when the seeds are ripe. The seeds are black and papery. If you want hosta seeds, I'm gonna have a ton of them in a few weeks from my Sieboldiana elegans plants. You're welcome to as many as you want in exchange for postage. I've got a few seeds from last year but don't know how long they're viable. They won't come true from the parent plant since most are crosses. Can't say if that's true of Sieboldiana or not--cAROL might know. Do you still want a division from my 'Zagreb' coreopsis? I could tuck that in with the seeds to make the postage worthwhile.

no,no Neil, the SEED will be BLACK.
If the seed is white, it is no good.
No hosta will come true, but you can get some really nice new ones from the seed.They will most likly,all be green however.
I do have about 6 yellow ones I am keeping an eye on,not easy to get yellows,yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Hi Eileen,
cAROL

gardenweed and just1morehosta,

Thanks for the description. I'll take a look at it again tomorrow. About the seeds, I remember now when you mentioned that it was papery. Carol sent me seeds of hosta last year.

By the way, is Scarlet Runner Bean the same as Purple Hyacinth Bean? When I searched for the former, I saw pictures of Purple Hyacinth Bean instead. However, some have red flowers.

terrene,

I searched about grapes few days ago and was shocked to find out that there are hardy grapes. :)

Quick question folks regarding Coral Honeysuckle. Do they also grow slowly?

I would like to update you friends with my patio/pergola project. I'm like 95% complete. My target was to complete it tomorrow or Sunday but it's going to rain for 2 days.

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Beautiful, Neil. It looks great! Nice job!

Karen

WOW! That is spectacular. I may have to start planning my own project for next summer. You are an inspiration.

Martha

Thanks Karen and Martha! :)

Looks like I won't be able to do anything today and tomorrow. I was planning on completing everything today. Rain is here.

Neil,That is just gorgeous,and big,what size is it?Is the open spot a fire pit?You sure do a nice job.Is it stained, or painted,looks like stain, very nice.I bet your wife just LOVES IT. :0)
cAROL

I think it is very nice!! I love how you outlined the pavers with different color pavers.

Thanks!!! :D

Carol, size is roughly 18x36 ft and another 4 ft extension for the pergola. Yes, the open will be for the firepit. The picture below is what I'm trying to accomplish. Hopefully when rain stops, I'll be able to do some work.

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Wow, can't wait to see it when its done! The coral honeysuckle is perhaps a bit on the slow-growing side. With many perennial vines, you have your sleep-creep-leap syndrome; the first year they sleep (don't seem to grow at all), the second year they creep (grow slowly), and the third year they leap (grow a lot).

I know it's always personal preference. Maybe you can give features of the 2 perennial vines I'm thinking.

honeysuckle or clematis

I like the appearance of flowers.

Clematis.... Pros: Delicate structure, easy to train, beautiful flowers. Cons: Often needs regular watering, can be long periods without flowers, careful selection required to avoid clematis wilt (when entire vine dies down to the ground. often just before or during flowering).

Locinara... Pros: semi-evergreen (at least in some areas), attracts hummingbirds, interesting structure as vine ages, usually does not require watering, at least some flowers for most of the summer, sometimes flowers and berries at the same time. Cons: Requires some training and trimming to grow in right direction, possible damage to earliest flowers by aphids, might not cover top of structure (my locinara is 5 yrs old and only 10 feet tall).

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Clematis in June, wow!

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Clematis in Oct - nyeah.

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Lonicera sempervirens woody base

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Lonicera sempervirens flowers and berries

Wow, really tough decision then. Looks like the one I've been dying for a long time is the only one that will cover up the pergola nicely. It's Wisteria. However, it only flowers in spring.

I'll have to read up on this whole thread again! :)

Thanks for giving pros/cons of the two. I really appreciate it.

Neil

lois, I have a question about your clematis on picture. Was it on a pot?

For everyone, is clematis deciduous? I was worried that if it was not deciduous, I don't think it will be able to fill my pergola.

Also, is there something wrong with planting wisteria other than being invasive in some areas?

Thanks.

Here is my latest update. I added support on top of the pergola. It serves 2 purposes: (a) to prevent the rafters from bending/twisting, (b) so vines can have something to hold on to. :)

Oh, I also completed the fire pit. It didn't came out the way I planned it. Wife wouldn't want me to buy stones anymore. I just used the extra stones I have. Anyways, I think it looks fine.

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Neil, it looks SUPER!

PV

Thanks so much PV! I found out that clematis are deciduous. :)

That is so awesome! I want one. When you're finished, you can come and build me one of those too. JK!

Karen

Hi,

No, the clematis was not in a pot. I planted it in the ground under the drip line of the porch roof so it would benefit from the runoff.

I think most clematis are decidous, and lose their leaves in the winter.

The only thing I would worry about if planting wisteria would be that it might get too big for the pergola. I think it would also require regular severe trimming back to stay under control and allow people to walk under the pergola. If you are willing to trim it back maybe twice a year, though, it could certainly work. Years ago, friends of my parents had a pergola in their back yard with wisteria growing on it.

Fantastic job, Neil! Wow! If I had a place for one, I'd want one. I don't but have my own little surprises for folks next year (she says as she rubs her hands together in glee). We're gonna have a "name that bed" contest for the one where I had my granite bench set this year.

I'll be interested in what you end up with vine-wise since my daughter & her husband built a pergola this year as well only theirs is above the deck off the back of their house so it's a lot higher off the ground than yours.

:) Thank you so much Karen and Eileen.

Mone is going to give me one of her clematis. I'm going to try to grow it at the post near the lawn. Then on the other posts, I'll put big pots and grow hyacinth bean vine. That's my plan right now and could change.

Thanks lois for the information about wisteria pruning.

There is a Winchester Honeysuckle that's being sold for $10 in my area. It's at 5 gallon pot. I found very little information about this Honeysuckle.

Hi Neil, WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How wonderful is that!!
I think yours lookes even Better, than the one you showed us,yours looks bigger also.(The firepit)great job.
I can send you the seed next week, if you still need it.
My friend has an envie all ready for you.
I will need your addy again, you would think I would learn,and just keep every ones in a book,gezzzzzzzzzzzz.:0)
I am growing the same as you for next year,I may have a small wisteria vine comeing up on its own, if you want it, you can have it in the spring.
cAROL

Thank you so much Carol! I'll show your post to my wife. :)

And yes, I'll send you an email too.

Thanks so much for the wisteria!

You have done a magnificent job, and I know you will really enjoy it in the years to come.

Lois

Hey V1, beautiful patio and pergola. You have obviously been working very hard. When I see something like this, I think having a hubby would have its advantages!

LOL @ Terrene!!

Not all hubbies are carpenter inclined!! Mine rather help with house work rather help in the yard. I rather be out in the yard slaving out in the HOT sun pushing a mower that is not self propelled, LOL. Girl I am the one that has to do anything electrical around the house, like hooking up even a tv, and don't dare ask my husband to hang a picture, wall mount, or especially a towel rack. Oh me!!

He is good at changing a light bulb and taking out the garbage and of course picking up after himself...and me sometimes. LOL For that I will keep him around!!

Thanks Lois and Terrene! :D

Today, I planted 2 Ramona Clematis I bought for $3. Hopefully, it will do well. I will also plant the other clematis that Mone is going to give me in spring. I still can't decide where I should plant Nelly Moser.